Machine for manufacturing plaster-board.



E. H. FISHACK. MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING PLASIER BOARD APPLICATION FILEDJAN. II. 1915.

INVENTOR,

3 SHEETS-SHEET I- Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

WITNESSES,"

ATTORN EY E. H. FISHACK. MACHINEFOH MANUFACTURING PLASTER BOARD.

APPLICATlON FILED 11111.11. 1915. v

' Patented Jan. 15; 1918.

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ZTJI. 2 25M ATTORNEY INVENTOR,

EDMOND H. FISHAGK, OF GYPSUM, OHIO.

MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING PLASTEB-BOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

Application filed January 11, 1915. Serial No. 1,856.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMOND H. FISHACK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Gypsum, in the county of Ottawa and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Machine for Manufacturing Plaster-Board, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in machines formanufacturing plaster board, and its object is to provide a machine forthe expeditious manufacture of plaster board.

In accordance with the present invention the machine is so constructedthat the boards when manufactured are confined under pressure whilesetting; the boards are produced successively in the form of a pile upona support arranged to be loweredfiintermittently to extents determiningthe thickness of the boards; means are providedwhereby the boards areformed in a casing or mold which may be in part collapsed or removed, sothat the complete pile of boards may be taken out of the machine at oneoperation, and this may be further facilitated by the construction ofthe lowering support in the form of a car capable of being moved intoand out of the machine upon suitable tracks. The invention alsocontemplates the use of separating) sheets for the boards, which sheetsmay e so constructed as to form the surfaces the invention alsocontemplates the application of power for producin the requisitepressure in a manner to limit the pressure to apredetermined amount.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing de tailed description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, with thefurther understanding that while the drawings show a practical form ofthe invention, the latter is not confined to any strict conformity withthe showing. of the drawings, but may he changed and modified so long assuch changes and modifications are .within the scope of the appendedclaims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a-machi'ne embodyingthe present iny'ention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof as seen from the left hand side ofFigr l.

Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of the machine as viewed in Fig. 1.

of the boards into desired shapes, and

' beams 14 and end Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 Fig. Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the car constituting thelowering support.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section of one of the division plates drawn on amuch larger scale than the other figures of drawing.

lVhile in many of its'details the machine of the present invention maybe variously constructed, a sim 1e and -eilicient construction isillustrated in the drawings. There is a main frame made of uprightcorner posts 1 with top and bottom cross beams 2, 3, respectively, allof which may be made of structural steel, and preferably channel orother angular steel. Supported on the bottom beams 3 are closelyadjacent spaced beams 4: also of channel steel, and these beams carry abearing 5 on which is mounted a bevel pinion 6 axially screw threadedfor the passage of a screw rod 7, which latter is located in the centralvertical axis of the frame. This rod carriesat its up er end a head 8 ofsuflicient lateral extent or a purpose to be described. In describingthe screw rod 7 as upright and in all other expressions of position usedherein reference is had to an installed machine.

The corner posts 1 carry other cross pieces 9 upon which are placedtrack rails 10 for receivin the wheels 11 of a truck 12 shown separate yin Fig. 6, and this truck comprises a platform 13 .sup orted by marginalside ams 15, and these last named beams carry journal boxes 16.. foraxles 17 in turn carrying the wheels 11. Extending between and fast tothe side beams 14 are intermediate cross beams 18 suitably spaced apartto be both engaged by the head 8. The beams 4 carry a journal standard"'19 supporting a journal bearing 20 for a shaft 21 which extends from apoint adjacent to the rod 7 to the exterior of the main frame where itis journaled in a suitable bracket 22. At the end next-to the rod 7 ,theshaft 2lioarries a bevel pinion 23 in mesh with the pinion 6 and at theouter end the shaft 21 is provided with means for its actuation whichmay be in the form a hand crank 24 or any other means may be employed,and the crank 24 is therefore to be taken as indicative of either handmeans or power means for the turning of the pinion is a section on theline 5-5 of 6, which, being in the form of a nut, causes the raising orlowerin of the rod and with it the head 8, and w en a truck 12 is inposition to have its cross beams 18 engaged by the head 8, then on therising movement of the rod the truck is lifted to the extent desired.

Extending between appropriate cross beams 2 at the top of the frame arespaced 19 beams from which depend hangers 26 carrying other beams 27 attheir lower ends.

At about midway of the len h of the beams 25 there is secured a bloc 28forming a thrust block for a bevel gear 29 traversed 5 by an uprightscrew rod 30 located in the upright central axis of the frame and' inalinement with the rod 7. The beams 27 carry journal bearings v31 forres ective shafts 32, 33, each having a bevel pinion 34,

20 35, respectively, in mesh with the gear 29. These shafts 32 and 33each pass through a journal bearing 36 mounted on a cross beam 37 ateach end of the main frame, and near the top thereof. Exterior to themain frame 5 the shaft 32 carries a clutch member 38 and the shaft 33carries a similar clutch member 39. Each of these clutch members is whatis known as a friction release clutch, and since such structuresarereadily obao vtainable upon the market, it is unnecessary to show ordescribe them in detail. .In action they operate until the resistancereaches a predetermined point when theyno longer drive the drivenmember.

The rod 30 carries-at its lower end a follower 40 having laterallyoutstanding arms or brackets 41 on opposite sides each terminating in aneye 42 slidable along a guide rod 43 mounted between respective pairs of40 corner posts and supported at the upper ends in the beams 37 and atthe lower ends in other beams 44 similar to the beams 37, but located ata correspondingly lower level. The ends of the rods 43 may be held in 46blocks or supports 45 made fast to the respective beams.

' Extending between the corner posts in parallel relation to the beams44 are other beams 46, these last-named beams bein I a 60 proximately ona level with the top 0% tl fe car or truck 12- when supported upon therails 10. I

Made fast tothe beams 44 and 46 on one end of the main frame is a. plate47 forming one end of a mold and made fast to these same beams and .thecorresponding beams at the other side of the frame is another plate 48forming dne side ofthe mold.

The other end and side of the mold are j formed by other correspondingplates 49 and 50, respectively, but neither of these plates is madepermanently fast to the frame. The four plates when assembled constitutea rectangular mold open top and bottom and of a size and shape toreadily but snugly receive the platform 18 of the car or truck 12, sothat this platform or support, together with the remainder of the carmay be elevated inside of the mold to the top thereof by a suitable maniulation 7U of the shaft 21, thereby impelling t e screw nut 6 to raisethe rod 7 and with it thehead 8, and the truck or car su ported thereby,said car being indicative of any other suitable movable device.

The beams 44 and 46 adjacent to the end plate 49 of the mold carry cammembers 51 each provided with a handle 52 and movable about a pivot pin53, and these cam. members are so related to the end plate 49 00 of themold that they may be moved to clamp this plate tight against thecorresponding face or side members 48 and 50, the latter being rooved,as indicated at 54, to firmly seat t e edges of the end plate 49.Extending between the corner posts of the corresponding side ofthe mainframe to the end plate 49 are supporting bars 55 upon which the loweredge of the end. plate 49 may rest. Mounted upon pivot pins or bolts 056 traversing the flanges of the corner posts 1 adjacent to the faceplate 50 of the mold are cams 57 each provided with a manipulatinghandle58 and so related to the mold plate 50 that on a propermanipulation of the cams the mold plate is firmly lodged against the endplates 47 and 49. The end plate 50 is furthermore provided with chains59 each fastened at one end to the plate and at .the other endterminating in a pin 60, while the follower 40 has holes 61 formedtherein. in position to receive the pins 60 for a purpose to bedescribed.

In Fig. 3 the mold chamber is shown as filled by a pile or stack ofplaster boards 62, and these boards are shown as separated by plates 63,one of whichis shown in Fig. 7 as corrugated. These plates arepreferably of metal, of which tin or galvanized iron may be takenas anexample, and the corrugations may be taken as indicative of anylndentations or figures formed on the plates to be impressed in thecorresponding faces of the plaster boards.

Let it be assumed that the mold chamber I is empty, and that the end'plate 49 of the mold chamber has not yetbeen clamped in 7 place, andthat the face plate 50 has been raised by the elevation of the follower40 with the pins 60 of the chains 59 in the holes 61, the clamp cams 57being also in the loosened or disengaged position. Now, the car or truck12 is moved upon the tracks 10 until within the space defined by themold chamber at the lower end thereof, after which the follower 40 islowered until the face plate 50 has reached its lowermost osition whichmay be determined by the Bar 55 and a stop 64 on a level with the bar.55. The earns 51 and 57 are manipulated means for the shaft 21 isoperated to cause the head 8 to enga e the beamslS and elevate the caror true until it is spaced from the top of the mold chamber by adistance e ual to the proposed thickness of the laster board, thefollower 40 having been 111 the meantime raised sufiiciently to be outof the way. A plaster board is now formed in the top portion of the moldupon the platform13 and a division late 63 is laid upon the formedboard, a ter which 'the truck is lowered a distance corresponding to thethickness of the next plaster board.

This 0 eration of lowering the support suc is applied by the follower 40as needed and oessive y by predetermined distances and the introductionof. the separating sheets continues until the mold is filled withplaster boards and the se' arating sheets, the showing of the latter 3for the purposes of illustration. Pressure when the mold chamberisfilled with plaster boards, the pressure is maintained until the pileof plaster boards has set. The pressure of the follower 40 may beregulated to a nicety by the em loyment of releasing friction clutchesWhlCh roduce a pressure to thefpredetermined point, and then maintain itthereat without increase of the pressure.

The screw 7 and the driving means for the screw may be so arranged thatone or two or a certain predetermined number of turns of the shaft 21will produce a movement of the lowering support equal to the desiredthickness of the plaster board.

When the pile of plaster boards has become set the cams 51 and 57 arereleased and the pins 60 are introduced into the holes 61, whereupon thefollower 40 is elevated, the face plate 50 ofthe mold being lifted withit out of the way of the truck or car and the pile of plaster boardsthereon, while the side member 49 being released from the camscontrolling it offers no impediment to the removal of the car with thepile of plaster boards from the mold, and then another ported to adesired point and unloaded.

By the present invention pla ster boards may be made successively ofeven thickness and consistency and may be permitted to set and hardenwhile under pressure, so that I when released from such pressure theywill retain the form imparted to them. The space wherein the plasterboards are molded is always at the top of the mold and unifornnthisbeing accomplished by'a predetermined lowering of the support for theplasterboards so that there is ultimateh formed a pile made up ofplaster boards all of the same thickness. The collapsible mold permitsthe formation of thepileof boards ing exaggerated in Fig.

,a determined degree while the support L9 in a minimum space and theirremoval without the necessity of further lowerin or of raising the pileafter completion. y separating the plaster boards by metallic sheets towhich they do not adhere each board'is separated from the others, and,furthermore, any configuration desiredmay be imparted to the surface ofthe board. A predetermined pressure is important and this isadvantageously brought about by the use of the releasing clutches whichpermit the quick operation of the device without leaving the matter ofproper pressure to chance or the judgment of the operator of themachine, for the pressure may be fixed by the so preadjustment of theautomatic releasing friction clutch.

What is claimed is 1. In a machine for manufacturing-plaster board, anupright fixed mold open top and bottom, a support of a size to enter themold and movable laterally beneath the mold into and out of alinenienttherewith, means for bodily raising the support from a position belowthe mold into the mold through the open bottom thereof and for raisingand the mold into and out of alinement therewith, means for movin thesupport bodily lengthwise of the mol through the open bottom thereof, a.follower movable into and out of the mold toward and from the supportwhenthe latter is in the mold, and means for applying pressure to thefollower and automatically holdin such pressure to I19 maintained in afixed position.

3. In a machine for manufacturing board, an upright fixed mold open topand bottom, a car or truck movable laterally with respect to the moldinto and out of underlyin relation to the open bottom" of the mol andmeans for raising and lowering a the car or truck bodily to varyingextents up and down within the mold, whereby a stack of superposedarticles may be formed in the mold with the car constituting a sup-vport for such stack and each article constituting a support for the nextarticle above it. 4

n a machine for manufacturing plaster board, an upright fixed mold opentop andl25 bottom, a car or truck movable laterally with respect to themold into and out of underlying relation to theo 11 bottom of the mold Iand of a size to dily enter -the mold through the open bottom thereof,means for moving the car or truck Bodily up and down in the mold,whereby the car constitutes a support for articles formed in the mold,and a follower movable into and out of the mold through the open topthereof in oppositlon to the car or truck. v

. 5. In a machine for the manufacture of plaster boards, an uprightfixed mold open top and bottom and ofa capacity to hold a pile ofplaster boards, a' supporting frame for the mold,-a support for theboards movable laterally with respect to the length of the mold into andout of coincidence with the bottom of the mold, said support being of asize to move into the mold through the open bottom thereof, means formoving the support for the boards to varying extents lengthwise throughthe mold, whereby the through the mold lengthwise of the latter plasterboards may be successively formed in superposed order'within the .moldupon the support, a follower carried by .the supporting frame for themold and provided with means for moving said follower into the moldthrough the top of the latter against a pile of plaster boards on thesuport for said boards while the su port is lield stationary, and meanscarried by the supporting frame for the mold for applying pressure toand automatically maintainin a predetermined pressure against the pie ofplaster boards within the mold until I the plasterboards have set.

6. In a machine for the manufacture of plaster boards, a mold of acapacity to hold a pile of plaster boards, a support movable andprovided with means whereby the support may be moved by steps for theformation of the boards successively in the mold to roduce a pilethereof on the sup ort, a fol ower movable into engagement with thetopmost one of the plaster boards and auto- 1 matic means for applying apredetermined pressure through the ollower to the plaster boards andholding such pressure until the plaster boards have set. V

In a machine for manufacturing plaster board, a mold open top and bottomand havdown of the mold, a

and out of the upper end of the mold toward the mold, and means removalof the side truck conforming in size to the cross-sec ing one 'sideremovable, laterally into and out of the mold through the "spaceprovided for by the removable side, means for movin the support up andollowermov'able into and from the support when the latter i in forapplying pressure to" the follower and automatically holding suchpressure to a predetermined degree.

8. In a machine for manufacturing plaster one side removable, a 7

board, a mold havin car or truck movabli into and out of the moldthrough the opening provided by; the of the mold, said car or tionalarea of the mold, and means for mova support movable ing the car ortruck in the mold in a direc tion perpendicular to its movement into andout of the mold through the open side of the latter.

9. In a machine for manufacturing plaster board, a mold havin one sideremovable, a car or truck movab einto and out of the mold through theopenin provided by the removal of the side of t e mold, said car ortruck conforming in size to the cross sectional area of the mold, meansfor moving the car or truck lengthwise of the mold,

and a follower movable into the mold in opposition to the car or'truck.

10. In a machine for manufacturing plaster board, a mold having one sideremovable, a car or truck movable into and out of the mold through theopening provided by the removal of the side of the mold,

saidcar or truck conforming in size to the cross sectional area of themold, means for moving the car or truck lengthwise of the mold, afollower movable into the mold in opposition to the car or truck, andautomatic means for exerting pressure upon the follower to apredetermined extent.

11. In a machine for manufacturing plaster board, a mold, a car or truckof a size to enter the mold, and means for moving the car or truck tovarious extents lengthwise of the mold. I

- 12. In a machine for manufacturing" plaster board, a mold havingadjacent portions movable toward and from the molding space and one ofsaid portions removable from the mold, means for holding the removablemembers in position against internal pressure in the mold, a car ortruck movable laterally into and out of the mold through the spaceprovided for by the 're-, movable member, means for'moving the carq ortruck lengthwise of the mold, and a follower movable into and out of themold in opposition to the car or truck.

13. In a machine for manufacturing plaster board, a mold having twoadjacent portions movable toward and from the molding space, one of saidportions being removable from the mold, a car or truck movable into andout of the mold through the space provided for by the removable member,means for moving the car or. truck lengthwise of the mold by steps eachcorres onding to the thickness of a laster board? means for locking themovable members of the mold inposition against the action ofpressureexerted against them from the inside of the mold, a follower movableinto and out of the mold in opposition to the car or truck, and meansfor applying and sustaining pressure upon the follower v against plasterboard sustained by the car of truck, said pressure applyin means beingconstructed to automatica 1y produce the pressure to a predetermineddegree.

14. In a machine for manufacturing plaster board, a mold chamber havinga removable side member, a follower adapted to enter the mold chamber,and means for connecting the removable side member to the follower forthe movement of the removable member away from'the mold chamber and thereturn of the removable member to the mold chamber.

15. In a machine for the manufacture of plaster board, a mold chamber, abottom member for the mold chamber comprising a truck or car of a sizeto move bodily wholly into the interior of the mold, and meanspositioned to engage the truck or car when within the mold chamber andraise and lower it therein.

16. In a machine for the manufacture of plaster board, a mold havingadjacent portions movable toward and from the mold chamber within themold and one of said portions being removable from the mold, means forholding the movable mold members against the action of pressure exertedthereagainst from the interior of the mold, a supporting member forplaster boards movable into and out of the mold through the spaceprovided by theremoval of the removable member, and means for raisingand lowering the supporting member when within the mold.

17. In a machine for the manufacture of plaster board, a mold havingadjacent portions movable toward and from the mold chamber within themold and one of said portions being removable from the mold, means forholding the movable mold members against the action of pressure exertedthereagainst from the interior of the mold, a supporting member forplaster boards movable into and out of the mold through the spaceprovided by theremoval of the removable member, and means for raisingand lowering the supporting member when within the mold, said machinebeing also provided with a follower movable into and out of the top ofthe mold.

18. A machine for the manufacture (sf plaster board comprising asuitable frangpa the mold, a truck or ear movable on the track andconstructed to form a supporting member when within the mold, andintroducible into and removable from the mold through the space providedby the removal of the removable member, an elevatin and lowering meanscarried by the frame in position to engage the car and lift it towardthe top of the mold, and lower it by successive stepscorrespondingto thethickness of a plaster board, a follower carried by the frame andmovable into and out of the upper end of the mold, means for attachingthe removable member to the follower, and pressure applying meansconnected to the fol lower for causing the latter to exert apredetermined maintained pressure upon the plaster boards within themold until the material of the plaster boards is set.

19. A machine for the manufacture of plaster board, comprising asuitable frame, a mold carried by the frame with members in fixedrelation thereto and other adjacent members in movable relation thereto,one of said members being removable from the mold, a track carried bythe frame below the mold, a truck or car movable on the track andconstructed to form a supporting memboard, a follower carried by theframe and movable into and out of the upper end of the mold, means forattaching the removable member to the follower, and pressure operatingmeans connected to the follower for causing the latter to exert apredetermined maintained pressure upon the plaster boards within themold until the material of the plaster boards is set, the movablemembers of the mold being provided with clamp means for holding them inoperative position against pressure exerted on them from the interior ofthe mold. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I havehereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDMOND H. FISHACK. Witnesses:

, JOHN H. Smears, Enrrn L. BROWN.

